How can a commercial jet be "lost"?

ASHWAUBENON - With all the technology on a commercial jet, many are asking how does one end up missing for more than eleven days?

It's a mystery that's puzzling local aviation instructors.

Flight instructor Sherwood Williams has trained hopeful commercial pilots on small planes just like this one.

He showed us the safety features that even the most basic aircraft have.

“Even smaller airplanes we have a lot of equipment on board. We have autopilot, we have a GPS, a backup communication system,” said Williams.

And an aircraft like the missing Malaysia Air Flight 370 have even more communication systems.

Williams says that's what makes the Boeing 777's disappearance even more confusing.

“A plane of that size would probably have more than one transponder, two or three, as backup systems if the airplane lost electrical power, there would be another back up service,” said Williams.

Malaysia Air officials say the last radar transmission from the plane was around one in the morning on Saturday, March 8. However, officials in Kuala Lumpur speculate the aircraft may have literally flown under the radar, below 5,000 feet.

“When you don't have radar coverage, you would lose track of that transponder,” said Williams.

Williams finds the lack of contact with any of Flight 370's transmitters or communication systems suspicious.

“I think it's very odd that all would fail. They'd almost have to be manually turned off to all fail. But there is the possibility that they could fail if there was a loss of electrical power,” said Williams.

However, Williams doubts the electrical systems failed.

“As more details are developing I think we'll find there has been more of a control in this airplane than no control at all,” said Williams.

Williams hopes investigators will soon find clues on what went wrong on Flight 370.